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Review

A man returns to his family after a 12-year absence with money in his pocket but no explanation to his two young sons, who know him only from a fading photograph. Ivan is resentful and cautious and unwilling to trust this man who is a stranger to him, but the younger Andrei is eager to accept his father's presence. Their mother sees her reunited family off on a camping trip, ostensibly for father and sons to bond. While the three struggle with their newfound relationships, clues are dropped as the father executes another agenda, hinting at where he was for 12 years, and why. The vast Russian countryside echoes their isolation and provides a fitting backdrop to their ongoing test of wills, aided by an eerie, minimalist musical score. The performances are engaging, natural and unselfconscious; the children are especially remarkable, with strong screen presence and an uncanny ability to convey subtle emotion. Director Zvyagintsev is impressive in his feature debut, creating an almost dreamlike quality for this tale of attempted redemption and tragedy. A last, haunting still shot from the family past seems premonition to the story that precedes it. The Return stays with the viewer long after it's seen, and evokes quiet meditation on human imperfection and our ongoing struggles against it. (Russian with English subtitles)

 -- Ann Yarabinee